Optimized plastification in extruders for better economy and product properties – Discrete-Element-Simulation

摘要

The central research objective of this recently project is to gain deeper insight into the early stages of melting of engineering thermoplastics in an extruder, especially when a high speed twin screw extruder is used for compounding. Then the achieved knowledge can be used to create models for simulation tools used for designing and optimizing the compounding, especially the plastification process. This new knowledge also can be used to design energy efficient processing units. To reach this aims, this project focuses on the description of the mechanisms involved in the onset of the melting in twin screw extruders. The research of the melting mechanism is split in the process depended filling behaviour of the plastification zone by using the Discrete-Element-Software EDEM to model the pellet conveying, model experiments and of course experiments with an high-speed co-rotating twin-screw-extruder (ZSK 32MC; Coperion GmbH). Objectives of this presentation will be the simulation of the solid conveying zone of the processing unit to characterize the filling behaviour of the screw.